Travel Emergency: 6 Tips To Help You Prepare In Advance

This is a great time of year for vacations! A vacation means time off of work, time away from school and time spent doing things you don’t normally get a chance to do. Whether you are staying home or traveling abroad, a vacation can be a well-deserved break. But what happens if you experience an emergency while on vacation? Do you know how to handle situations that may arise?

Here are six tips for handling the most common types of emergencies that travelers face:

1. Lost Luggage

The way to handle a lost luggage calamity is to prepare for it ahead of time. Rather than using your carry-on for books and entertainment, pack at least one change of clothing and a few essential hygiene items for each member of the family. If everyone has their own carry-on, better still! Have a change of clothing in each person’s bag. This way you’ll have at least two outfits to last you until the airline locates your bags and has them sent to your hotel.

2. Lost Passport

Again, the key to dealing with a lost passport, or other identification, is preparation. Before you leave for your vacation, make a copy of everyone’s identification cards and passports. Keep these copies separate from the originals when you travel. If someone loses their passport, take the copy you’ve made to the US embassy and explain that you’ve lost your original. For a fee, the embassy will be happy to secure a new passport for you.

3. Illness

If you fall ill during your vacation, it’s up to you to determine whether or not you should visit the hospital. If you do decide that a trip to the hospital is in order, be sure to find out if your medical insurance will be honored. If you are traveling overseas, you may want to consider taking out traveler’s insurance policy to cover your family should you fall ill or have an accident.

If you have a medical condition, or someone in your family does, make sure to invest in a medical alert bracelet. Wearing this bracelet could save your life if you’re in an accident!

4. Crime

Being the victim of crime is scary, and it’s even more so when you are in an unfamiliar area. If you fall victim to a criminal, be sure to report the incident to the local authorities. If you are traveling abroad and are the victim of a crime, report it first to the US embassy or consulate. Either of these offices will help you follow the correct steps.

5. Lost Money

When you’re traveling, make sure to separate your cash instead of carrying it all in one spot. This way, if you lose your purse or wallet, you still have access to money. If, for some reason, you should lose all of your money, have someone at home wire funds to you via Western Union.

6. Missed Flight

If you miss your flight, or if your flight is canceled, don’t panic. Head to the ticket counter and explain your situation. Most airlines will put you on the next flight for free, if it was their fault, and for a small fee, if the fault was yours. One way or another, you will get home; don’t worry!

Vacation is a time to enjoy yourself and your family. Unfortunately, accidents and emergencies can occur. If you know what to do when an unfortunate situation arises, you’ll be less stressed and better able to continue enjoying your holiday.